Love in Times of Crisis. An Approach to Contemporary Romance Novels in Spain

Abstract

In a context of financial crisis and economic recession, American popular romance novels have increased their sales in the international literary marketplace. In Spain the popularity of this genre dates back a few years, but the advent in 2008 of the current crisis fostered for the first time the creation of made-in-Spain narratives, capable of competing with foreign titles. What is more, the presence of Spanish novelists is now consolidated, and their works are widely read inside and outside of our country. Starting with the traditional novela rosa, the present paper traces the origins and development of this national production of romance novels in order to reveal the factors that made it possible. Ultimately, my intention is that of clarifying the relationship between American and Spanish popular romance fiction attending to different elements, such as their formal and thematic characteristics, or their social impact. On the whole, this essay draws from various resources, including interviews with renowned authors and readings of popular works, so as to shed some light on the current state of the genre in our literary market.